Rush
by sakura darkstar
Summary: Hamtaro's finally entering his first year of high school, and boy is it confusing! Hamtaro and Boss are crushing on Bijou, the cute new French girl. And that isn't the only love sprouting between the gang! OCs wanted!
1. im cool

Ok, IM SARRY if non of u likd my last stury. I got lots of falms. Btu luckly I tuk ur suggestuns an roat a nwe stori… plz enjoye.

-

"Hamtaro?" A young woman's voice rang through the cozy home. "Hamtaro, wake up! You don't want to be late on your first day of school!" So, it was a cliché. But could you really blame Laura Haruna? Not much could get her younger brother out of bed, what with his careless nature and easygoing personality. He didn't care if he was late, but you couldn't blame the girl for trying.

A messy head of shaggy strawberry-blonde hair poked through the covers, and the body it belonged to stretched and yawned. What had Laura been talking about?

Oh, right. School. _High_ School. Hamtaro gulped and slipped on a simple orange t-shirt and ripped jeans (then rolled them up at the bottom – still only five-foot-six, Hamtaro wasn't exactly tall for his age and, skinny as he was, often found clothes to be loose on his frame). He then headed into the kitchen, where his twenty-two-year-old sister Laura served him a hearty plate of pancakes.

"Thanks, Laura!" He exclaimed before devouring his breakfast. Laura sat across from him, buried in a text book. This was her senior year of college, and with their parents gone, she was left not only to raise her younger brother, but also to finish school and earn her pay at a local thrift store. Because of this, she was often prone to stress, which concerned Hamtaro.

He wasn't necessarily what you would call… responsible. Curious, easygoing, courageous, and occasionally reckless, Hamtaro made up for his faults with friendliness and love. Sure, it sounds corny. _Really_ corny. Actually, I wasn't sure what my point was there. Except that Hamtaro is a good friend. Er, yeah.

"Hamtaro, you'd better start walking to school," Laura reminded. "Oxnard is probably waiting for you at the bus stop."

"Good idea!" Hamtaro agreed, and grabbed his backpack, then headed for the door.

-

"I wonder what they're serving for lunch today," Oxnard commented as they entered the building. "Oh, I hope they have sunflower seeds! Wouldn't that be awesome?" Oxnard made his love for food – especially sunflower seeds – known to his friends. He was bigger than Hamtaro (and by that, I mean chubby), and would often wear a grey sweatshirt and blue jeans. His hair was short and a musty brown color, his eyes cloudy grey.

"This place is _huge_," Hamtaro observed, distracted. Oxnard would often joke that his best friend had ADD, and Hamtaro would argue back… before he swiftly changed the subject to something completely unrelated.

"Yeah," Oxnard agreed nervously. "I hope we don't get lost."

"Lost, eh?" An unfamiliar voice piped, sounding cocky and gruff. Both boys looked up to see an older boy with short black hair and a very muscular build. He was much taller than Hamtaro and Oxnard, most definitely an upperclassmen. "Looking for a tour guide? Then I'm your man! The name's Boss."

"Hi!" Hamtaro chirped. "I'm Hamtaro and this is Oxnard."

"Could you help us find the snack machines?" Oxnard asked in an introductory manner. Snacks were what he was all about, of course.

"This way," Boss lead, explaining to the both of them which hallways belonged to who, where each clique hung out, what areas to avoid, and the like.

"And this," Boss began, standing next to a picnic table outside, "is where I like to eat lunch. Since I'm a sophomore and you two are freshmen, we're gonna have the same lunch period." The sophomores and freshmen would have both lunch and Phys. Ed together, mainly because the school was so small and there weren't enough periods in the day to divide them up.

Both boys nodded, then Oxnard's eyes lit up. "The snack machines!" He cooed, excited, and ran to them. "Look, Hamtaro, this one has sunflower seeds for only fifty cents!"

"That's great!" Hamtaro replied, and Boss just grinned.

-

Hamtaro's first class was English, and Oxnard had Biology, so the two had to split up. Hamtaro took a seat in the middle of the classroom, excited to meet his classmates. One by one, they filed in – some looking nervous, others bored, but most of all… like they didn't want to be there. Hamtaro curiously observed his classmates, making eye contact and waving occasionally.

"Hi, I'm Hamtaro!" He said to the girl sitting next to him. She was very slender, with snowy blonde hair that fell right below her shoulders in gentle curls. She had big eyes in an icy shade of blue that matched the ribbon in her hair.

"`Allo," She responded in an adorable French purr. "My name is Bijou."

"Are you new?" Hamtaro asked, attempting to make conversation.

"Yes, I `ave just moved here, from Paris." Bijou answered. "I do not have any friends yet."

_She looks sad!_ Hamtaro noted mentally. "Well, now you do!" He said optimistically. "Do you want to eat lunch with me, Oxnard, and Boss?"

"…that sounds wonderful!" She agreed after a moment of hesitance. "I think I have met this 'Boss'. He is strong, yes?"

"Yeah, that's him." Hamtaro smiled. "He was nice enough to show me and Oxnard around the school."

"Oh, that is very sweet." Bijou cooed. Somehow, Hamtaro felt a tinge of jealousy for Boss. Before he could pinpoint exactly why, their English teacher, Ms. Lowman, barked at them.

"Bijou! Hamtaro! Are you going to pay attention to my lesson or just chitchat all day?"

"We're sorry, Ms. Lowman!" Hamtaro apologized. "It won't happen again."

"Well, it better not." Ms. Lowman scowled. She was a middle-aged woman, with a long skinny neck. She began writing on the blackboard

"It's best you don't get on her bad side." The girl in front of Hamtaro turned around to say. "She's very detention-happy." She had straight, layered light auburn hair with dark brown streaks under a green and blue argyle beanie. Dark brown eyes were outlined heavily, and she had vans on her feet. "I'm Sandy, by the way."

"If you said we were going to get in trouble for talking," Bijou whispered, "isn't it safe for you to follow your own advice?"

"Nah," Sandy whispered back. "I practically live in detention. Always taking the heat for my brother, since on his next strike he'd get suspended – and you _know_ our mom wouldn't be happy about that."

"You have a brother?" Hamtaro asked.

"We're twins, actually." Sandy explained. "Stan skates a lot, and, well," she motioned to her tight Element t-shirt, and dark wash skinny jeans, "I kinda caught on. But gymnastics is my real love."

"That's cool," Hamtaro complimented.

"You too, Sandy? If you three can't quiet down then you're all going straight to the principal!"

Sandy quickly turned around in her seat and began 'taking notes' (aka doodling in her notebook), then Bijou smiled sheepishly at Hamtaro.

"_Sorry_," She mouthed. Hamtaro just gave her a thumbs up.

-

Hamtaro watched as Bijou carried her sack lunch to their table, nibbling on the hot dog he'd gotten from the cafeteria. "Hey Bijou!" He called. "This is Oxnard and Boss."

"I believe we've met?" Boss inquired, smiling at Bijou.

"Oui," Bijou confirmed.

"Are you gonna eat your sunflower seeds?" Oxnard asked, and Bijou handed them over.

"Hey guys, room for two more?" Sandy asked. Next to her was a tall, skinny boy with short brown hair and a blue button-up shirt. In his right hand he carried a sandwich, and in his left was a book. "This is Maxwell. He reads a lot."

"Indeed," Maxwell concurred. "Right now I'm rereading _The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_ – I've read it before, of course, but I hear we'll be studying it in AP English next year and I just want to be prepared."

"Wow, smart guy." Hamtaro noted.

"You know who else is really smart?" Oxnard began. "This guy named Dexter. He's in my History class, and _man_ he knew a lot about… stuff."

"I doubt he knows more than Maxwell," Sandy bragged.

"Oh, now, Sandy, let's not be hasty and make assumptions." Maxwell lectured.

"Right, right."

"Man, tables are really filling up fast." Boss observed aloud. "Looks like you're outta luck if you don't have a clique."

"That _probably_ includes my brother and Panda." Sandy said. "Only two skaters in town. Hey, Stan! Over here!" She waved, and a boy with hair like his sister's (only shorter, obviously) and an acrobatic frame sauntered over.

"Hey, sis." He smiled coyly in Bijou's direction. "Who's this."

"Bonjour, my name is Bijou."

"Ahh, my little French creampuff. You know, that ribbon in your hair really matches your eyes."

"Stan!" Sandy warned. Boss was fuming.

"Hey, hey, hands off, hot shot!" Boss advised. Stan laughed, but gave no verbal response.

"Stan thinks he's a ladies' man." Sandy explained. "Ignore him, he flirts like it's a sport."

"Well, I am an excellent athlete." Stan said, which earned him an "Oh, shut up" and a punch in the gut.

"It's nice to meet you!" Hamtaro greeted.

Stan smiled. "Oh, and this is Panda." He motioned to a slightly taller teen, his hair dark and longish, skin milk white with a sprinkling of freckles dusted across the bridge of his nose. He was thin and wearing dark jeans and a black t-shirt.

"Hey," Panda greeted. "Have you guys signed up for any electives yet?"

"I am taking Home Economics," Bijou offered. "And ceramics."

"Hey, I'm in ceramics too!" Hamtaro said enthusiastically.

"And I'm taking Home Ec." Oxnard chimed in. The reason for this being, well… the food!

"It is very comforting to know that I'll have friends in my classes." Bijou remarked.

"Ugh, electives, don't remind me!" Sandy moaned. "I've already got soccer, basketball, swimming, gymnastics, _and_ homework… when am I going to have time for any extra classes? Never, that's when!"

"Don't worry, Sandy." Maxwell comforted. "I'm positive that you'll find something you like and be able to juggle the coursework. I'm taking computer science."

"What about you, Panda, what are you taking?" Oxnard asked.

"Woodshop," Panda answered. "I plan to be a carpenter someday, and I can already do a lot with wood. This'll be a good head start."

"Already got your future planned out?" Boss raised, impressed. "Wow, you're years ahead of me. I just hope I can get into college on a football scholarship, or something."

"I didn't know you played football!" Stan said, pleased to have found a bond with somebody new over athletics. "I'm more of a soccer guy, myself. But football's pretty rad."

"Hah, yeah." Boss responded, and Hamtaro noticed him looking at Bijou to see if she was impressed.

"I've never seen anyone play football," Bijou confessed. "It's an American sport, oui?"

"Yeah, that's right." Boss replied. "You should come to one of my games. Maybe afterwards we—"

His invitation was cut short by a beautiful girl in a short denim skirt. Her body was toned and slightly curvy, brown hair wound in tight curls that stopped at her mid-back. Her eyes were blue and covered in eyeliner and mascara. She pushed Bijou to the left so she was sitting in-between the French girl and Hamtaro.

"Puh-lease, are you serious?" She inquired at Hamtaro. "You want _this_," She motioned to Bijou, "after going out with _this_?" and then to herself. "You've really dropped your standards, Hamtaro."

He sighed. "Hi, Sparkle."

"Hey!" Boss stood up, outraged. "You can't talk to Bijou that way!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I had the freedom of speech, or is this no longer a free country?"

"What is your problem?" Sandy asked. "They weren't even doing anything."

"Oh, like I need to take that from you, Butch." Sparkle replied snidely.

"That's it—"

"Woah, woah, calm down, sis." Stan ordered, holding Sandy back by the shoulders. He made eye contact with Sparkle and licked his lips.

"Oh, please." Sparkle scoffed. "Why am I even bothering? You're hanging out with _losers_ now, Hamtaro. Tell me when you're ready to come to your senses." She bumped Bijou's shoulder on her way out.

"…what was that all about?" Panda asked, confused.

"She's my ex-girlfriend." Hamtaro explained sullenly. "I broke up with her last summer but she isn't leaving me alone."

"She's hot!" Stan exclaimed. "_And_ popular. I want me a piece of that!"

"Oh, shut up. She's also a total airhead." Sandy remarked.

"Are you okay?" A girl wearing a pink scarf asked Bijou. "That girl's such a jerk, I don't know where she gets off bullying others." Her honey-colored eyes were squinted in anger, subtle brown waves framing her face.

"I… I think so." Bijou stammered, her expression forlorn. "I am very… confused."

"Her last target was Penelope." The girl explained, stepping aside to reveal a short, skinny girl in a huge yellow sweater and brown skirt. She had big eyes and long brown hair in pigtails. "She's really shy, so people pick on her a lot. It doesn't help that she's so small."

"Hello, Penelope." Hamtaro said. Penelope waved, a small smile playing on her thin lips.

"Um, Hamtaro?" Bijou poked his shoulder to get his attention. "I was wondering. What did that girl mean when she said zat you have dropped your standards?"

"She meant that she thought she was better than you," Sandy said. "Which is a lie, of course, but she just wanted to feel better about herself."

"it's best you ignore people like her," The girl in the pink scarf advised.

"Oh," Bijou said.

"I'm Pashmina, and you already know Penelope. She's kind of like my… little sister, in a way."

"I'm Hamtaro! This is Boss, Oxnard, Bijou, Maxwell, Sandy, Stan, and Panda."

"Cool," Pashmina replied, then pulled a schedule out of her backpack. "Hey, um, does anyone have History next? I have history and I don't want Penelope to be alone."

"I do!" Hamtaro volunteered.

"Me too," Panda added. "We'll take care of her."

"Thanks so much!" Pashmina said. "So, should we get to class?"

-

I no bad ednign btu das ok. U mete howdy snuzer dxeter kapie adn jingle in da nxte chap. C I told u all I cud improvv an luk wut hapend… I hop u lyke even tho da curect spelign maks me luk like a freek

PLZ REVIEW

Luv sakura


	2. ur cool

Wow thx 4 al ur positev revuis i dident no dat ud lyk dis storey…..it isn't dat gud lol da typin maks me luk lyk a prud. If u want 2 mak suggetchuns 4 da cupples at da danse den leev a revue! Also im ecceptin OCs btu mak sur dat der ar NO MARY SUSE and no furys

-

As Hamtaro walked back from class with Panda and Penelope, he couldn't help silently surveying the halls for signs of his new friends. Panda was overwhelmed with a stack of books (after offering to carry Penelope's books, she quickly handed them over). The trio made their way to the auditorium where Bijou was sitting in-between Boss and Pashmina. Penelope hurriedly scampered to her best friend, who smiled and introduced her again to Bijou.

_Rats!_ Hamtaro thought. _I can't sit next to Bijou during assembly. I wonder where Oxnard went…_

Instead he sat next to Stan and Panda, who were behind Boss and Bijou. The conversation shifted from skateboarding to the weather, to girls, and to skateboarding again. This was where Hamtaro eventually tuned out. Instead, he found himself staring at Bijou… the way her light blonde curls moved as she laughed, and the light pink flush on her cheeks. And how perfectly the loose blue polo clung to her slim torso—

"Yo, earth to Hamtaro! You still with us, dude?" Stan asked suddenly, waving an arm in front of Hamtaro's face.

"Sorry, I guess I spaced out." Hamtaro apologized in a sheepish manner. "Um, what were we talking about?"

"Sparkle, man! She's such a babe!" Stan reminded with unneeded exuberance. "How'd you manage to score with her?"

"She's okay, I guess." Hamtaro shrugged. Yes, Sparkle _was_ pretty, he had to admit. But Hamtaro was taught to believe there was more to a person than just looks, and Sparkle's personality was rotten. That was why he ended it with her so quickly, she wasn't sweet, like Bijou was. Ugh! Why couldn't he stop thinking about Bijou? He didn't have a crush on her, did he? No, that couldn't be it, he was sure. Plus, she'd said Boss was nice… and strong… he couldn't interfere with something like that.

"_Just_ okay?" Stan asked. "Oh, come _on!_ Look at that hair, those legs, that a—"

"Looks aren't the only thing that matter." Hamtaro interrupted. "Right, Panda?"

"I guess not." Panda agreed. "I mean, I wouldn't date a girl who looked like a troll, but I'd have to be able to at least talk to her."

"Unlike my brother," Sandy cut in, taking a seat next to Panda. "He's just looking for some arm candy."

"That isn't true!" Stan protested. "I mean, I wouldn't go out with a girl that didn't have… that wasn't…"

"Smart?" Maxwell finished. "Stan, on the contrary, I think all you're looking for in a girl is a pretty face and fit physique."

"A what now?"

"Somebody hot,"

"Speakin' of hot," An unfamiliar voice cut in, "have ya seen Pashmina lately? She's definitely the kinda girl I'm lookin' for!"

"Pashmina, seriously?" Stan asked, then paused. "Well, I guess she's alright… more like a girl-next-door type, maybe, but…"

"Oh, please! She's perfect!" Another voice contradicted. This one belonged to a shorter boy with round glasses and hair just a shade lighter than Bijou's, styled and combed neatly. He was dressed well, topped with a red bow tie (yes, a bow tie) and shiny black shoes. "Why, I couldn't ask for a more heavenly woman to grace the halls of this school!"

"You're just trying to win her off with your hoity-toity rich people talk!" The other boy argued, his honey-colored hair long and shaggy, eyes almond-shaped and dark brown. "She's obviously lookin' for someone down to earth!"

"Oh no," Pashmina said, turning around to face them. "Not you two again! I already told you, I'm _not_ looking for a relationship right now!"

"Oh, Pashmina, darling, I completely understand." Dexter replied sincerely. "After all, I'm a patient man. I can wait."

"You can start calling yourself a man after you grow past five-foot-four, tiny!"

"Is there any need to fight? I'm sure Pashmina isn't in the mood for violence right now, Howdy."

"You tryin' to start somethin'? Let's go, let's go right now, Dexter! Right now!"

"Boys, boys, calm down!" Hamtaro coaxed. "We're all friends here, right? We don't have to get in some silly fight over a girl!"

"We do if the girl is Pashmina!"

"Both of you, sit! Right now!" Pashmina finally ordered, and they both obeyed. "Good. Now behave, I don't want another word out of either of you." Howdy and Dexter nodded sullenly.

"What was that all about?" Bijou asked.

"Oh, just these two clowns that are always trying to win my love. I don't know if it's about the competition or determination or what. I think it's silly." Pashmina answered.

"Yeah, no kidding." Sandy agreed. "I mean, really, those two? If I were you, I would choose neither! Every girl needs somebody smart." She took that moment to look into Maxwell's eyes, and he stared into hers before looking away, embarrassed.

"You two lovebirds get a room!" Stan ordered, and Sandy punched his arm with an annoyed expression on her face.

"Shut up, Stan!" She yelled, hoping that nobody would notice the blush staining her cheeks.

"Ooh! Sandy likes, Maxwell, Sandy likes Maxwell!" Panda teased, and Sandy punched him, too. "Ow! Sandy!"

She crossed her arms. "Sorry about that, Maxwell."

"Oh, sibling rivalry is usually at its peak during times of adolescence." Maxwell accepted. "Especially if the two are close in age."

"Do you and Stan really fight a lot?" Hamtaro asked curiously, trying to distract himself from Boss's subtle flirting with Bijou in front of him.

"He mostly just likes to annoy me," Sandy explained. "He always starts it."

"I do not!" Stan protested.

"Hey, you know who I bet never gets in a fight? That kid." Panda said, pointing to a boy in the back of the bleachers, fidgeting with the fringe on his notebook. He had soft, layered brown hair that stopped at the nape of his neck, bangs slightly covering big jade-colored eyes. His skin was olive-toned and pale, and he was wearing a dark green cap on his head.

"Who, Cappy?" Sandy asked. "Aw, that he's always been so quiet. I don't think he has many friends."

"Then we should invite him to hang out with us!" Hamtaro said. "Hey, Cappy!"

Cappy jumped, startled, then looked confusedly at Hamtaro. He pointed to himself and tilted his head.

"Yeah, you!" Panda called. "Wanna come sit with us?"

Cappy stood and walked to the gang with slight hesitance, dragging his backpack with him. It was green, like his cap.

"Um, hi?" Cappy said. His voice still sounded slightly boyish, and tired.

"Hey, I'm Hamtaro!" Hamtaro introduced with his usual enthusiasm. "This is Stan, Panda, Sandy, Maxwell, Penelope, Pashmina, Bijou, Boss, Howdy, and Dexter."

"Oh wow," Cappy replied, impressed. "I've never hung out with this many people before. My name is Cappy."

"You're cute," Pashmina blurted.

"WHAT!" Howdy and Dexter shrieked at the same time.

"What ever happened to, 'I ain't got time for a relationship'?" Howdy asked.

"I don't understand… him over me?" Dexter stammered in disbelief.

"Oh, calm down. I didn't mean cute in _that_ way." Pashmina clarified. "Sorry, Cappy. We're probably scaring you off, huh?"

"Um, no, it… it's alright." Cappy offered with a smile.

"Anyways," Stan began, which everybody took as their cue to continue their previous conversations. Boss began chatting it up with Bijou, leaving Hamtaro disappointed but determined.

"So I've got the ball, four guys on my tail, and someone jumps me! It was totally unexpected, and it turned into a total dog pile. Last time I heard, flag football doesn't work that way. So I stand up and make a run for number sixty-four…"

Yawn. Football talk was so boring. Hamtaro wondered how Bijou could stay so alert during these stories when she didn't even know the game!

"Oh, that sounds so scary!" Bijou said, which told Hamtaro that Boss's boring football tale was finally over. "You must be very brave, Boss!"

"Heh-heh,"

He was just eating this up! Well, Boss was his friend, so Hamtaro tried to give him a fair chance at Bijou, too. After all, it wasn't their choice who she chose – it was her own. He decided to see what the others were talking about.

"And then I saw the _coolest_ shoes at Zumiez. Not only were they perfect for skating, but they had this little wedge that…"

_Shoes! Leave it to girls, that's all they ever talk about!_ He turned to Stan and Panda, hoping for some refuge.

"So what about that Barrette? She's pretty cute, right?" Stan inquired, referring to the photo editor of the school newspaper, known for having her light brown hair in a high ponytail.

"I heard she's going out with Seamore." Panda replied disinterestedly, speaking about the newspaper's photographer (and captain of the swim team).

"Psh! I'd like to _see more… _of her!" Stan joked with a chuckle. "Besides, just because she's on a diet doesn't mean she can't check out the menu."

Hamtaro rolled his eyes. How could Panda deal with Stan's non-stop girl-talk? He then tuned in to the conversation Sandy was having with Cappy and Maxwell – making it a point to ignore Dexter and Howdy, who were bickering behind him.

"When is this assembly gonna start, anyway? Seriously, I'm so bored!" Sandy complained, and Cappy only shrugged.

"Now, Sandy, be patient. I'm sure Principal Chourohamu is busy organizing school functions – for example, the homecoming dance – or perhaps addressing problems like schedule misplacements." Maxwell guessed.

"Ugh! It's not like he's super busy or anything. The guy is, like, eighty years old!" Sandy argued. "He just turns all his problems onto Auntie Viv. And with the assembly starting late, they're gonna dismiss us late. Which will result in _me_ being late for gymnastics."

Maxwell sighed. "First of all, Sandy. Relax. Take deep breaths. Being late for one practice will _not_ affect your overall performance, and you spend too much time worrying about sports. You should be focusing on school! It is your future, after all, and—"

"I know, Maxwell, I know." Sandy interrupted. "We've had this discussion before. It isn't going to change anything! Gymnastics is my passion, you of all people know that!"

"I suppose," Maxwell mused. "But I'm not sure if it's the correct route for you to be taking. That's all."

"I know you just want the best for me," Sandy shrugged.

"That's right!"

Cappy whispered to Hamtaro, "Are those two… um…"

"Best friends?" Hamtaro guessed immediately. "Of course they are! Everyone needs a best friend!"

Cappy looked at the ground. "I've never had a best friend before," He confessed. Hamtaro frowned and nodded, urging him to go on. "I mean, my parents spoil me so I don't leave the house much. I've had a few people try to get to know me at first, but, well… they were just in it for my stuff."

"Well, you won't find people like that here!" Hamtaro remarked optimistically. "There are lots of great people, I'm sure you'll make lots of great friends. You already have us!" He motioned to those around him, and Cappy smiled.

"You're right, Hamtaro. Thanks."

"Hello young citizens," An old man spoke from the stage, microphone in hand. "Right now would normally be the time you would be taking two of your electives. Instead, I'm going to have some instructors speak to you and help you choose and sign up for them."

(ya nobuddy cars aboteu dis part so im guna skip it jst pretend dat its afterskewl nao ok)

"Hamtaro, hey Hamtaro!" Oxnard called, sprinting up to his best friend.

"Hey, where were you? I didn't see you at the assembly!" Hamtaro said.

"I know, I know. Sorry about that." Oxnard apologized. "But you'll never guess who I ran into in the halls!"

"I probably won't… who was it?"

"Pepper!"

"Pepper? You mean that girl you used to know in elementary school?" Hamtaro and Oxnard hadn't met until sixth grade, their first year of middle school. He'd heard about Oxnard's childhood best friend, Pepper, who lived on a farm. Apparently her family had moved back to the country years ago, and Oxnard was heartbroken.

"Yeah! Her family moved back just in time for her to start high school. Isn't this great? Maybe now I can tell her how I feel…" Oh, did I forget to mention his massive crush on her? "Hamtaro, she's more beautiful than ever!"

"Well, good! Did you sit with her during the assembly?" What a stupid question, Hamtaro, of course they did!

"Yeah, and we're walking home together too. She said to wait for her by the fountain." Oxnard said, stopping at that exact spot.

"Good! Then you should tell her how you feel!" Hamtaro encouraged.

"I… I don't want to rush it!"

"Rush what?" A girl with a slight southern drawl asked, standing next to Oxnard. She was slightly chubby and munching on a handful of sunflower seeds, curly dark brown hair wound into two pigtail braids held together with red ribbons. She was wearing a white shirt and red neckerchief with ripped jeans, and had freckles on her face like Panda did.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing, Pepper!" Oxnard claimed, flailing.

"Hi, Pepper, I'm Hamtaro!" Hamtaro (who else?) introduced. "I've heard a lot about you!"

"I'm afraid I haven't heard anything about you," Pepper replied, her expression somewhat contemplative. "Ah well! It's nice to meet ya anyways!" She outstretched a hand, fingernails short and stubby. Hamtaro shook it.

"Er, should we get going, Pepper?" Oxnard asked suddenly.

"Sounds like a good idea. My house is this way, come on!" Pepper grabbed Oxnard's hand and lead him down the sidewalk, leaving Hamtaro standing alone.

_They probably don't want me tagging along,_ He reasoned. _Oh well, I can probably find someone else to walk with. Hey, there's Bijou! That's perfect!_

"Hey, Bijou, wait up!"

-

REED DIS PLZ:

adn da chaptur edns thar. Sry if I dident lyk da ways i made sum of da charicturz. btu I hope u did!1 I tride my bste hear evry1 so I dun want u 2 haet dis storey. Remembur, im lookin 4 ur originail characturz 2 put in dis storey. Jstu say der name, eyes, hare, persunalitey hobeys crush etc and ill include dem! Plz review!

Btw da walk between beajew and hamteru iz in da next chap stay tund!


	3. wer cool

Cum on guise I saked 4 sum OCs. And I alreddy typ like a freek so I cnat bring mahslef 2 rite dat way in heer. Besidez it iznt da stori so lol I DUN HAV 2 LISSEN 2 U.

Btw sandyxmaxwell persun I used ur IM screen names I hop dats ok. If nut den jus tell meh and ill chanje dem.

-

"Oh, hello Hamtaro!" Bijou said, smiling.

"I was wondering if you wanted to walk home together,"

"Sure, that sounds wonderful! My house is this way, is yours too?" Bijou asked. Hamtaro nodded, smiling at the cute way she mispronounced words like 'that' and 'this'.

"How was your first day? Are the schools here a lot like schools in France?"Hamtaro asked.

"Yes, but schools there are a lot more… how do you say it? Formal?"

"Yeah, that's right. Do you like it here?"

"Yes, very much. I have made lots of new friends."

"Me too! I'm glad."

They continued to walk in silence for the next few moments, a canopy of leaves above them providing an efficient amount of shade from the afternoon sun. Fidgety and restless by nature, Hamtaro felt the need to break the silence.

"Look, I'm sorry about the whole Sparkle thing earlier." He said finally.

"It is alright," Bijou brushed off. "I understand she just likes you a lot. And you like her too, oui?"

"No!" Hamtaro protested. "No, no, no! I don't like girls like her, that's why we broke up."

"Oh," Bijou realized. "I see. What kind of girls _do_ you like?"

"You know… nice girls." Hamtaro shrugged. "I'm not really sure. What kind of, um… boys do you like?"

"I like boys that are courageous!" Bijou swooned.

Hamtaro frowned. _Sounds like Boss. Maybe I should show her that I'm courageous too!_

"Oh! This is my house!" Bijou stopped, and walked through the thin, black gates that lead into the elegant abode. "Thank you for walking me home, Hamtaro! I will see you tomorrow!"

-

When he walked through the front door, Hamtaro was greeted with the smell of fresh basil and olive oil.

"Hi, Hamtaro, how was your first day of school?" Laura called from the kitchen. Hamtaro set his backpack down in the kitchen and began telling her of his daily escapades.

"…and then we walked back from school, Oxnard and Pepper went the other way."

"Sounds fun. Go upstairs, dinner will be ready in about half an hour, okay?"

Hamtaro nodded curly and scampered up to his room, where he did what any fourteen year old boy would – signed into AIM.

"Hey, Oxnard's online!"

**iSunflowerseed:** hey hamtaro guess what!

**OrangeSunshine: **yea?

**iSunflowerseed:** pepper gave me the sns of evry1 else, do u want them?

**OrangeSunshine:** sure

**iSunflowerseed:** ok is it kewl if i make a chat

**OrangeSunshine:** k

_IAmBoss has entered the room._

**IAmBoss:** you two again? hey does anyone have bijous screen nam?e

**iSunflowerseed:** i do, do u want me 2 invite her?

**IAmBoss: **...idc, just asking is all.

_Ribbonluvr has entered the room._

**Ribbonluvr:** bonjour oxnard! hamtaro, boss. :)

**iSunflowerseed:** incoming pashmina and cappy

_IDon'tKnowWhatToCallMyself has entered the room._

_ILUVPINK has entered the room._

**OrangeSunshine: **lol at cappy's sn.

**IDon'tKnowWhatToCallMyself:** heyyyy who's boss?

**IAmBoss:** i am, have we met?

**IDon'tKnowWhatToCallMyself:** no!! im cappy!

**IAmBoss:** 'sup.

**IDon'tKnowWhatToCallMyself:** woah youre cool lol

**Ribbonluvr:** boss is one year older than the rest of us..

**OrangeSunshine: **PEDO!! jk boss

**iSunflowerseed:** wuts a pedo?

**ILUVPINK:** um... ask your mom oxy

**iSunflowerseed:** okay brb

_Cutie123 has entered the room._

**ILUVPINK: **hi penelope. :)

**Cutie123:** hehe cappy i no sum1 ho lykes u

**IAmBoss:** someone likes cappy? i don't believe it.

**IDon'tKnowWhatToCallMyself:** WHAT REALLY? WHAT?

**Cutie123:** ya btu they told me nut 2 tel u, sry

**IDon'tKnowWhatToCallMyself:** now im curious...

**Ribbonluvr:** cappy has a secret admirer? that is adorable.

**IAmBoss:** ugh.

**OrangeSunshine:** wuts wrong?

**IAmBoss:** nvm... i have to go. i'll talk to you all later.

_IAmBoss has left the room._

**iSunflowerseed:** OMG!!!!

**ILUVPINK:** ?

**iSunflowerseed:** a pedo... is......

**ILUVPINK: **penelope! you don't need to hear this! get out of the chat right now!

**Cutie123:** no y dont u mak me

**ILUVPINK:** ughhh, thanks a lot oxnard.

**IDon'tKnowWhatToCallMyself:** idk what a pedo is either lol

**ILUVPINK:** DON'T TELL HIM.

**iSunflowerseed:** fine...

**Ribbonluvr:** they can always google it..

**ILUVPINK:** BIJOU!

**Ribbonluvr:** sorry, sorry... i'm just.. distracted

**OrangeSunshine:** is something wrong, bijou?

**Ribbonluvr:** boss asked me to see a movie with him, idk what i should say

Hamtaro tilted his head. Boss had asked her out? This soon? He began typing in a feverish manner, most of his words pleading for details – without it sounding typically creepy, of course.

"Hamtaro, dinner's ready!"

Drat.

**OrangeSunshine:** i g2g everybody, see u all tomorrow!

_OrangeSunshine has left the room._

-

Sry dis chaptur wuz soooo short… da next 1 will be rly long, I promise. O and I nede 2 no wut penny musser luks lyke othrwies I kent rite wif hur. Plz review!


	4. their cool

Thx 4 reviowin, I hop u edjoi mah nxt chapter!1 o and im sry 4 nto speling out bijews akscent, englihs iznt mi ferst langqidge so im bda at dat.

Btw dis chap is in bijou's POV cuz im tirde uv ritin hamtearo al da tiem

Also, dis iz on firday since nuffing instrusting hapind frum Tuesday wedsday thersday

-

Bijou furrowed her brow when she saw Boss approaching her – he'd asked her to see a movie with him yesterday after school, and she hadn't given him a straight answer. She knew Boss lived a fast-paced life and was obviously expecting her validation this morning, but she'd never been put in a situation like this. Bijou didn't know how to say no.

"Hey, Bijou." He said coyly.

"Oh, um. `Allo, Boss." She replied, offering a modest smile as she tucked her books under her arm and began walking to class. "I suppose you are awaiting my answer." She awkwardly stared at the floor as she walked, afraid to make eye contact.

"Yeah, that'd be nice." She heard his gruff voice say casually.

"Well, I…" Bijou began, quickening her pace. "Oh, I am sorry! This is my English class, but I will talk to you at lunch!" Before he could continue, Bijou darted through the door frame and into her seat.

"Mornin'," Sandy greeted from the seat catty-corner to Bijou, but took a double-take when she saw her. "Like, did you just run a marathon or something? Your face is like, super red."

Bijou sighed. "I was trying to avoid Boss." She answered sullenly. "He asked me to a movie yesterday, and I do not know how to reject him without making him feel… erm, rejected."

"Ooh, that's tough." Sandy replied. "Why don't you like, tell him you're not ready for a relationship? He'd understand… you _just_ moved here from another continent, after all."

"I know, but… zat is not why, and I do not want to lie to him."

"It isn't _technically_ a lie, though, is it?"

"Well…"

"Do you have your eyes on someone else?"

"Well…"

"Ohmigod, you do! You totally do! You have _got_ to spill, girl friend."

"No! I cannot do that! Not… not _here_." Bijou hissed, suddenly flustered. "I will… I will tell you and ze others at lunch, oui?"

Sandy nodded, and quickly faced forward when Ms. Lowman entered the room and began her lecture.

"…and I've assume you've all begun reading _Catcher in the Rye_?" She asked, and the class dully nodded. "Good, now today I wanted to cover some of the dynamics and irony about the mindset of the narrator—"

"Sorry I'm late, Ms. Lowman!" Hamtaro suddenly called, barging into the room with only half of his backpack slung across his shoulder. "My alarm clock didn't go off, and…"

"Hamtaro, I don't want to hear any excuses!" Ms. Lowman barked. "Now take your seat. I hope you don't plan to make tardiness a regular thing, young man."

"No, ma'am."

"Now, as I was saying…"

Bijou wanted to pay attention to the lecture – really, she did, especially because English wasn't necessarily a strong subject for her – but her eyes slowly drifted from the blackboard to the by next to her. She studied his features, the way his hair curled out at the end and the way his nose turned up at the tip, how he was tapping his foot in an off-beat manner without even bothering to take notes. Just little things that she wouldn't normally pick up on.

Absentmindedly, she twirled a lock of hair around her index finger. She wore her pale blonde curls in pigtails instead of with a headband that day, using the same ribbons as she had the day before. Maybe Hamtaro would notice?

"_Bijou!_" Ms. Lowman snapped, and Bijou immediately broke her trance. "If you're having so much trouble paying attention, you can go right down to the principal's office. Are we clear?"

"Y-yes, ma'am." Bijou stammered. She felt an unbearable amount of blood rush to her face, temporarily leaving her pinkish complexion even pinker. She felt as if the entire class was staring at her, though not necessarily scolding her for interrupting their education. Cautiously, she looked at Hamtaro. He only grinned.

-

"Oh, zat was so embarrassing!" Bijou whined to Sandy on the way out of class.

"Chill out, like, I bet nobody even noticed." Sandy reassured her. "So are you gonna spill or not?"

"I told you, I will tell you and ze others at lunch." Bijou reminded. "Would it be okay if we sat at our own table today? With just ze girls?"

"Ugh, good idea." Sandy said. "That'll keep my brother's hormones in check! I'll see you at lunch."

-

Bijou didn't often find herself connecting with the guys like Sandy could. Sure, she was able to make small talk with them, and even have conversations with Hamtaro, but… it was usually so hard to talk to boys! It was as if they were entirely different creatures. This was why she made sure to make as many female friends as possible, especially in Home Economics, which she didn't have with Pashmina, Penelope, or Sandy.

Instead, Bijou would sit with Lily, an aspiring astronomer. Lily normally had her own group of friends from middle school and didn't normally associate with any of Bijou's friends, but the two still got along just fine. At first Bijou thought Lily was stuck up, but later realized that she was only shy, as Bijou once was.

"What's wrong, Bijou?" Lily asked when she saw Bijou slump into her seat.

"Oh, eet iz nothing." Bijou dismissed. "but I do not know how to say no to Boss; he asked me out yesterday and I do not want to break his heart."

"He's a sophomore this year, right?" Lily asked, and Bijou nodded. "Then tell him that the age difference might get in the way. Or just flat out say you aren't interested." She shrugged.

"Zat is a very good idea!" Bijou praised. "I will tell him that, thank you Lily!"

Lily smiled in response, and Oxnard sat down at their table.

"Hello, girls." He greeted and stuck his hand into a bag of sunflower seeds.

_That boy and his addiction,_ Bijou thought with exasperation. "Hi, Oxnard!"

-

Two classes later, Bijou found herself walking Penelope to the cafeteria. It was only the second day of school, and Penelope wasn't quite used to the intimidating surroundings yet.

As she sat down at the empty table near the one the boys were sitting at, Hamtaro called her name.

"Bijou! Aren't you sitting with us today?"

"Um, no, not today!" Bijou answered. She saw Boss looking at her expectantly, and quickly struck up a conversation with Penelope.

"Whatcha talkin' about?" Sandy asked, sitting next to Penelope. The French girl opened her mouth to respond, but Sandy raised a hand in protest. "Nevermind, you like, totally have to spill now."

"Be patient, wait for Pashmina!" Bijou scolded. The three girls turned their heads ninety degrees just in time to see Dexter offer Pashmina a single pink rose.

"Aw, Dexter, that's so sweet!" Pashmina cooed. "And it's pink, my favorite color! Thanks so much." She smiled and watched as Dexter proudly stalked to the boys' table to gloat.

She sat down in-between Penelope and Bijou, then stuck the flower behind her ear. It was the same color as her scarf, Bijou noticed. Uncanny how a boy could match the two colors up so well.

"That was nice of Dexter to bring you that rose," Sandy commented. "He was like, totally hitting on you."

"Ya think?" Pashmina responded sarcastically. "I don't know what makes those two so obsessed with me. It's not like either of them are my type."

"Really?" Bijou asked, suddenly interested. "Zen… who is your type?" She asked, trying her best to steer the conversation away from herself and distract Sandy from asking her who she liked.

"Oh, I don't know." Pashmina shrugged. "Someone… artistic. With dark hair and light skin."

"Sounds like Panda!" Sandy commented, clearly amused. In response to this, Pashmina lifted her eyebrows and turned around to get a better look at said teen.

"Wow, that kind of is like him. Interesting."

"Well, you all _know_ who I like." Sandy said.

"And I am certain zat he likes you back!" Bijou replied with unnecessary enthusiasm.

"But you like, still haven't told us who you're interested in." Sandy prodded. "And you promised you'd tell us at lunch!"

Bijou felt everyone's eyes on her, all staring curiously. Her face flushed again, and she looked at the ground and mumbled something.

"Huh? Like, speak up!"

"…`amtaro.."

Pashmina, who was closest to Bijou, immediately gushed. "Aw, that would be so cute! Do you think he knows?"

"Probably not," Sandy interjected. "He can be pretty dense."

Penelope nodded, and added, "You should tell him you like him firsthand, or else he'll never know."

"You're probably right," Bijou sighed. "And I still don't know what to do about Boss!"

"Nobody's given you any ideas?" Pashmina asked.

"Well, Lily had a few good ones, but I am not sure if zey will hurt `eez feelings or not."

"Anything's better than leading him on," Pashmina reminded.

"Yeah. So like, just go over there!" Sandy encouraged.

"Okay…"

-

"Do you see what I just did there, Howdy? _That_, my friend, is the act of a gentleman." Dexter lectured, sitting uncomfortably close to his rival. "Pashmina was undeniably impressed."

"So ya think that one little flower will up yer chances with her?" Howdy asked. "Think again! Pashmina obviously wants someone more down to earth."

"So you think you know girls better than I do?!" Dexter interrogated, pressing his face up against Howdy's.

"Yer darn-tootin' I do!" Howdy replied confidently, and the rivalry in the air was almost tangible.

"All this over a girl? That's ridiculous!" Panda exclaimed.

"Tell me about it," Cappy agreed. "No girl is worth that."

"I think they should stop beating around the bush," Boss said. "If you like a girl, just ask her out. Don't let her tease you or mess with your heart, you only end up getting hurt in the end."

"Right, you should play with hers instead!" Stan added, glad that Sandy wasn't around to slap him.

"Speaking of girls… what's Bijou doing here?" Hamtaro asked, waving at said girl.

"Um, Boss? Could I speak with you for a second, s'il vous plait?" Bijou asked politely, feeling the other girls' eager stares as she walked with the older boy to a separate table.

"Boss, you are a very nice person." Bijou began. "And I am flattered by your offer, but… I don't think it would be appropriate for us to go to the movies together this weekend."

"What! Why not?"

"Well, you see, I… I'm not sure if I'm ready for a relationship right now. I have only just moved here." She paused. "And… I believe zat you are too old for me. But I would still like to be friends."

"Right, I understand." Boss seemed genuinely disappointed, and sulked back to the boys' table. He didn't look back at Bijou, but left her to walk back to her friends in silence.

"Dude, what just happened?" Stan asked. "You get turned down or something?"

"No, that isn't what happened!" Boss lied profusely. "She just… wanted to ask me about the Geometry homework." He crossed his arms.

"Oh, I see." Maxwell said. "But I don't understand why she didn't just ask me or Howdy – we're much better at math than you are, no offense."

"Hey! What're you trying to say, wise guy?!"

-

"He looked so sad!" Bijou exclaimed. "I feel so terrible now!"

"Well, at least you got it out of the way." Sandy complied. "Don't you feel, like, relieved?"

"No, I feel like a heartbreaker!"

"That feeling will pass, don't worry about it. Wanna hang at my place tonight?" Sandy offered. "Stan and the guys are going to Boss's, so I'll pretty much be home alone."

"Yeah, it'll be fun! We'll watch movies and gossip and play truth or dare." Pashmina commented excitedly.

"Zat does sound like fun…"

"We'll invite Oxnard's girlfriend, too." Pashmina said. "What was her name, Paprika?"

"Pepper," Penelope corrected.

"We might even prank call the guys," Sandy suggested slyly. "They won't know what hit 'em!"

-

Ya so dis wuz kinda gay… review plz


	5. hes cool

Dis iz whar tings heet up

-

Sandy's house was much smaller than Bijou's, but very open and well furnished with an in-ground pool in the backyard. Both she and Stan had their own rooms, which connected through a Jack-and-Jill bathroom. Everything appeared spotless, with a quaint fountain set up in the front entrance.

Sandy lead the girls to the basement, which was refreshingly cool in contrast to the warm autumn air. The back half of the basement had mirrored walls and a banister, not unlike a ballet studio. Various exercise equipment sat on the other side, as well as a small television with jazzercise tapes stacked neatly below it

"My folks are, like, total work out fanatics," Sandy explained upon noticing the way her friends were gawking. "Does anyone want anything to eat? We can go to my room once it cools off upstairs, heat rises and I just turned the AC on."

The girls all nodded their approval, and Sandy came down minutes later with chips, candy, and the like before announcing that they would be ordering pizza later.

_What a gracious host,_ Bijou thought. _I never would have expected it._

Once the five of them were settled, Pepper grabbed a handful of chips and announced, "So I totally have some gossip for y'all," The others leaned in closer, and Pepper continued, "You know those two guys, Howdy and Dexter? Well… I heard from an – um – anonymous source that they were in a relationship!"

"No way!" Bijou argued. "Zey are both head-over-heels-in-love with Pashmina! Did you see the rose Dexter gave her zis afternoon?"

"I dunno, they could, like, be using her as a cover or something…" Sandy suggested.

"Ew! Why'd you have to drag me into this?" Pashmina asked disgustedly.

"Please, you were in it before any of us even knew about it." Pepper replied.

"Ugh," Pashmina groaned. "Do we have to talk about this? It's totally inappropriate! Especially with Penelope here!"

"I don't mind," Penelope spoke up. Pashmina rolled her eyes.

"You know, Penelope," Bijou said, "I think it would be really fun if we could give you a makeover!"

"…huh?"

"Yeah!" Sandy agreed. "Like, I could do your hair and Bijou could do your makeup…"

"And I could pick out some clothes!" Pashmina added.

"I've got nails!" Pepper called.

The three panned in on Penelope, who looked at them nervously as they lead her up to Sandy's room.

-

"Dude, Boss-man, you got Call of Duty?" Stan asked casually, eyeing the x-box and sitting against the foot of Boss's worn brown couch where his brother, Snoozer, was sleeping. When everyone had arrived at Boss's humble ranch of a home, they had been startled to see a young-looking brunette sleeping on the couch. Boss had later explained that it was his brother, whom he had nicknamed Snoozer because of his non-stop naps – he rarely showed up to school due to his lethargic nature, and when he did, he would usually sleep through classes.

"Yeah, lemme see if I can find it." Boss answered, and practically dove into a pile of game cases and disks. "Haven't played in a while."

Oxnard set out a platter of tortilla chips and salsa, then began to dig in. Hamtaro took a half-empty can of Pringles from the cabinet and handed it to Oxnard as well.

"This place is a mess!" Howdy complained. "When was the last time you cleaned up around here?" Unexpectedly, Howdy was a notorious neat-freak and couldn't help straightening up clutter when he saw it. He blamed it on his family, who owned a local shop and would spend hours dusting and sweeping (his house, predictably, was spotless as well). One would expect this sort of behavior from his rival, Dexter, who was a typical gentleman. Howdy wasn't as polite.

"Why should I clean up? I don't have anybody to impress!" Boss defended.

"Don't your parents mind that you leave this place so disorderly?" Maxwell inquired.

"My parents don't live with me," Boss answered, his tone suggesting that he was done with the subject.

"So, Boss-man, you got the x-box hooked up yet?" Stan asked impatiently.

"I'm workin' on it, cool your jets!"

-

"Oh, Penelope, you look so adorable!" Pashmina cooed.

"Oui!" Bijou agreed. "I love this new look on you!"

"It's like, totally vintage." Sandy complimented.

"And your nails look fabulous!" Pepper added, which was more of a compliment to herself than to Penelope.

"Really…?" Penelope asked, unsure. Her dark hair had been taken down and straightened, falling just below the waist, with blunt bangs stopping just below the brow. It was voluminous, and she was wearing a blue beret. Her upper eyelids had been lined in dark brown eyeliner, and then covered with a subtle purple shadow. Pink blush was dusted on her cheeks, darker lip gloss tinting her mouth. Her eyelashes, naturally dark and long, were coated lightly with mascara. "It feels like I have plastic on my face…"

"Come on, Penelope, don't you love the outfit I picked out?" Pashmina prodded. Penelope was clad in a tight tank top with horizontal white and blue stripes, and a blue pleated skirt with gold chains.

"It does look nice…" Penelope admitted. "Do you mind if I borrow it for school on Monday?"

"Ooh, are you looking to impress anyone?" Bijou asked. Penelope looked uncomfortably to the door.

"Maybe…"

"Oh my God, you like, have to tell us!" Sandy demanded.

"I'd rather not," Penelope refused.

"Come on, I had to tell you all who I liked!" Bijou declared.

"And I'll confess who I'm crushin' on," Pepper promised. "Ah, screw it. It's Oxnard!"

"Oxnard, really?" Bijou asked.

"I could, like, never think of him in that way." Sandy commented.

"I think he's cute, all submissive and such." Pepper said. "Opposite attract, you know?"

"That's for sure," Pashmina said. "I mean, look at Sandy and Maxwell. She's crazy, adventurous and athletic, and he's a total bookworm!"

"And look at Dexter and Howdy," Sandy teased. "They, like—" Pashmina, exasperated, clamped her hand over Sandy's mouth.

-

"I wish I had a real flamethrower, it works awesome on Japs!" Stan exclaimed while playing Call of Duty: World at War. "Hey, Panda, are you on the American side?"

"No, I'm on the Japanese side." Panda answered, as various shouts of 'bonzai!' came from the television speakers. The majority of people in the room were crowded around the TV, playing x-box, while Cappy and Oxnard watched and waited for their turns.

(aufors not: idk if dis is hao dag am works lol)

"Oh, who just shot me?!" Boss demanded, enraged. Howdy leaned out from the side of the couch to stick his tongue out at Boss.

"Dude, aw, whose using the flak jacket cheat?" Stan complained.

"Not a cheat if you rank up," Dexter gloated. Stan groaned in response, and the boys continued playing until Boss's landline phone rang.

"I'll get it!" Cappy volunteered, eager to get off the couch and do something. He ran to the phone (which was so out of date that it wasn't even cordless, and instead had a long coiled cord attached) and answered, "Hello! This is Cappy!"

"Hi, um, is your refrigerator running?" The voice on the other end asked him, and then he heard a jumble of voices, one of which saying, "Pashmina! That's so lame!"

"Uh… hold on, please!" Cappy requested, and called for Boss.

"What, what! We had to pause the game for this, what is it?" Boss said in an annoyed tone.

"Someone's on the phone for you," Cappy informed him, then scrambled back to the couch. "_What!_" Boss hissed.

"Temper!" Dexter warned from the other room. Obviously, with the game paused, he had nothing better to do than listen in on Boss's half of the conversation.

"Like, why are you calling me?" The voice on the other end asked, sounding irritated.

"What are you talking about?! YOU called ME." Boss corrected.

"Um, what? If you had something to say, just say it. I don't want to play games with you anymore, Bradley."

"Bradley…? I think you have the wrong number."

"This is 555-426-2677, right?"

"Yeah… but my name's not Bradley!"

"Damn it, Brad, I don't want to do this anymore!" The other person wailed, sounding like they were on the verge of tears. Boss grimaced, which must have looked disgustingly funny to Howdy, because he began cracking up – which got the others started. "Who's laughing?!" The voice demanded. "Are you… are you have PEOPLE over while I'm away? You know the house is a mess! How could you do this to me?"

"I…"

"We're OVER!"

And all Boss heard was a dial tone.

-

Btw dat wuz snady on da foan


	6. shse cool

Ooooooo thx so mchu 2 al da revieeurs! Dat maid me sooo hapi. Btw, dis chap mite b sda and very machur.

Btw is B frum death noat cuz I red dat book. Hes like elle. B stands 4 backup jstu lyke ur pencil naem!1

-

Penelope cautiously roamed the halls in search of her best friend – or any friend, actually, anxiously awaiting her friends' reactions to her new look. She had toned down on the makeup, not only because it made her uncomfortable but because, embarrassingly, she had no idea how to apply it. Instead, she settled for subtle brown eyeliner and a smidge of lip gloss.

"Penelope, is that you?" A lean girl asked. She had long, honey-brown hair pulled back into a half-ponytail, and intense cerulean blue eyes.

"Yes, Skye." Penelope answered with a sigh, faintly smiling. "Pashmina picked the clothes out on Friday."

"You look adorable!" Skye complimented. Her enthusiasm wasn't seen much outside of her regular group of friends, as she was often shy upon first meeting people, but was quite talkative once she warmed up to them. She had met Penelope last year when her kite had gotten stuck in a tree, and Skye offered to get it down (as she was quite skilled when it came to climbing).

"Thanks," Penelope replied, dark eyes searching for the person she wanted to impress most.

"Are you looking for Cappy?" Skye asked, then laughed when she noticed Penelope's distress.

"Not so loud!" The shorter girl hissed. Skye was the only one who knew about Penelope's crush on Cappy, and Penelope didn't even want Pashmina to find out – although they were closer than sisters, Penelope knew her best friend had a habit to spread gossip to the other girls. Not in a mean-spirited way, only to make conversation. Still, it made Penelope hesitant to tell Pashmina her secrets.

"Fine, fine." Skye dismissed. "He's probably still at his locker, waiting for Boss and the others."

"Okay, thanks so much!" Penelope offered a quick smile before running toward her crush.

"Hi, Cappy." She greeted quietly, happy that she didn't have to avert her gaze upward in order to talk to him. He was still taller than she was, but compared to the rest of their friends, both teens were much smaller.

Cappy closed his locker and turned to face her. "Hey Penelope," He greeted. "You changed your hair. It looks nice!" He noticed, and a faint blush washed over Penelope's tan complexion.

"Thank you," She replied with a wide grin, and Cappy smiled back.

-

"I got the weirdest phone call on Friday," Boss announced at lunch. "This girl kept calling me Brad and acting like we were together, then she got mad and hung up on me."

Penelope, Pashmina, Bijou, Pepper, and Sandy all exchanged amused glances.

"Do you think it was the wrong number?" Hamtaro asked.

"I did, at first." Boss answered. "Then she told me the number she dialed… it was 555-IAMBOSS, just like mine. I wonder what was up."

"Probably just a prank call," Maxwell dismissed. "Do you know anyone who'd do something like that."

"I don't think anybody here would do that! Right guys?" Pashmina blurted nervously.

"Maybe it was someone from the hockey team!" Hamtaro brainstormed. "They're kind of like rivals with you guys, right?"

"There aren't any girls on the hockey team, Hamtaro." Dexter reminded.

"Oh…"

Bijou giggled.

"Well, who else could it be?" Howdy wondered.

"It doesn't matter," Pepper cut in, and the other girls at the table nodded. "So did you guys hear about the Freshman Dance next week?"

"Freshman Dance?" Oxnard asked.

"Yeah, since freshmen can't go to homecoming, they board throws a dance for them a few weeks earlier." Boss explained. "I went last year, it was pretty lame. The punch got spiked."

"That sounds dangerous," Bijou commented.

"And the boys ask the girls, right?" Pashmina asked. She had traditional tastes when it came to romance.

"Of course! And you'll go with me, won't you Pashmina?" Howdy asked eagerly.

"She will not!" Dexter answered for her. "You need to ask her in private, have some class!"

"I'm not going with either of you," Pashmina rejected. "Sorry."

Dexter and Howdy looked crestfallen at Pashmina, then each other. A spark seemed to illuminate their eyes as an idea came to the both of them. 'Maybe... maybe I can ask _him _out, instead..' they each thought, before blushing slightly and looking away.

"Come on, Pashmina!"

"Yeah, go out with me!" They started nagging her again.

-

"Hey, so you know that kid B?" Sandy asked as she, Pashmina, and Hamtaro walked to class.

"You mean the Sophomore? Long black hair, dark eyes, kinda hot?" Pashmina described.

"Yeah, that's the one. Well, he's my neighbor and he's, like, throwing a party after the Freshman Dance for the freshmen and the sophomores. He, like, asked me to invite you. Can you tell the others?"

"Sure!" Hamtaro agreed quickly.

"So who are you thinking of asking to the dance, Hamtaro?" Pashmina asked.

"I dunno," Hamtaro shrugged. "I might just go solo, or we could all go as friends!"

"Aw, like, come on! You have to have a date!" Sandy prompted. "Maxwell's taking me. What about you, Pashmina?"

"Both Dexter and Howdy asked me already, but I don't think I want to go with either of them." Pashmina explained. "I guess I'll wait for someone else to ask me. Ooh, I know! Hamtaro, you should ask Bijou!"

Sandy sweat dropped. So much for subtlety…

"Bijou, really? Do you think she'd say yes?" Hamtaro asked.

"Yeah, totally!" Sandy confirmed all too quickly. "I mean, like, you two are already pretty close, so…"

"That isn't such a bad idea! Maybe I will!"

Sandy grinned. "Awesome."

-

"Oh, it's so cute!" Pashmina cooed. "Penelope thinks Cappy's going to ask her to the dance, she's so excited!"

"Aw, like, that's totally adorable. Because they're both so shy, you know?" Sandy replied.

"I wonder who will ask me…" Bijou drawled. Sandy and Pashmina shared a knowing glance. "Anyway, I have to go home. My muzzer is grilling salmon for supper and I don't want to miss that! I'll see you later!"

"Bye, Bijou!" Sandy and Pashmina called in unison.

Before she could even reach the sidewalk, Bijou heard her name being called.

"Bijou, hey Bijou! Wait up, I wanna ask you something!"

"What is it, Hamtaro?" She asked, turning around to face him. Hamtaro stopped to catch his breath, then looked her in the eyes.

"Wanna be my date to the dance?"


End file.
